Bangalore rape: Angry students clash with police

Several students were injured Monday in a clash with police at a private school here while staging a demonstration against the school management over the alleged rape of a six-year-old student July 2.

"We resorted to caning the activists to bring the situation under control, as some of them were attempting to pull the barricades down and barge into the school premises," a police official told IANS at the spot.

Though police arrested skating instructor Mustafa late Sunday on the charge of sexually assaulting the six-year-old in a class room July 2, the activists of a students' organisation here were not satisfied with the action and wanted the Vibgyor High School management to admit its failure in protecting the child and apologise for not acting in time against the culprits.

"We wanted to ask why the school management did not act against the accused and inform police about the crime. When police did not allow even our leaders to enter the school and meet its chairman Rustom Karewalla and principal, some of our activists tried to enter the school from other gate," Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) representative Hemant Kumar said.

ABVP is a students organisation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

With atmosphere tense at the school, which remains shut since July 14 when hundreds of parents protested against the management, security has been beefed up and additional policemen have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident and maintain law and order.

When about 500 ABVP activists resorted to demonstration, shouting slogans and condemning police baton-charging, a junior school official came under escort and assured the protestors that the management would take all measures to ensure safety and security of 1,200-odd students studying in the school, which follows ICSE syllabus.

The activists also submitted a letter to the school, listing a dozen of measures they demanded to be enforced within a week and prevent repetition of such crimes in its premises.

Police also issued a set of guidelines to the school for the safety and security of its students and teachers.

"We have told them to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in all the classrooms, rest rooms, sports facilities and at the playground, employ more women security guards, deploy a teacher in all vehicles ferrying students, and background profiling of new staff," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south east) P.D. Pawar told IANS.

Meanwhile, opposition BJP lawmakers continued to protest in the state legislative assembly over the failure of the ruling Congress government in checking crimes against women and minors in the city and other places in the state.